What happens to a plant cell when there is a lower concentration of water outside compared to inside the plant cell?

When a plant cell is placed in a solution with a lower concentration of water outside than inside the cell, it will experience a process known as osmosis. Osmosis refers specifically to the movement of water molecules from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration across a semi-permeable membrane.

In this case, since the inside of the plant cell has a higher concentration of water compared to the outside environment, water will naturally move out of the cell to balance the concentration on both sides of the membrane. As water leaves the cell, the plant cell loses turgor pressure, which is the pressure of the cell contents against the cell wall. This loss of water can cause the cell to shrink and leads to wilting, as the plant becomes unable to maintain its structure and rigidity without adequate water inside its cells.

This understanding of osmosis is critical in explaining how plant cells respond to changes in their surrounding environment.